A unicorn, an Irish Amadán and an alchemical Rebus do not usually meet across a reading table. In Baba Studio’s The Mythical Creatures Tarot, they belong to a shared world of folklore and symbolic possibility. The studio describes a collaboration: Karen Mahony conceived the deck and its structure; Lena (Elena) Kozachuk drew the pen-and-ink images; Alex Ukolov contributed to and edited the art. In the later water-coloured version, Geraldine Woessner added colour in collaboration with Mahony and Ukolov. Those roles matter when choosing among versions that share the same name. Baba’s monochrome edition notes and water-colour edition notes describe the differences.
The invitation here is to let a creature’s story open a question rather than dictate an answer. What quality does the figure seem to embody? Where does that quality feel welcome, and where might it overwhelm the situation? Such questions give mythology a place in a reading without requiring every creature to have one fixed meaning.
Mythical Creatures Tarot — 2016 Monochrome Card Gallery
Six unchanged first-party monochrome review samples, not the 2020 water-coloured edition. Source-native 350 × 558 pixels; no enhancement. The Mythical Creatures Tarot by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov, BabaBarock Ltd, baba-store.com. All rights reserved, used by permission. Pen-and-ink drawings: Lena (Elena) Kozachuk. Baba Studio edition details.
Which Mythical Creatures Tarot is this?
This is the Baba Studio deck, often titled The Mythical Creatures Tarot, not every product using the words “Mythical Creatures.” Baba dates its monochrome version to 2016 and the later water-coloured version to 2020. The studio credits Kozachuk’s pen-and-ink drawings and Ukolov’s art collaboration in both; Woessner’s water-colouring belongs specifically to the later version. The monochrome listing describes a signed, numbered edition with a wooden box and booklet; the water-coloured listing describes a larger, gilded edition with a wooden box, pouch and booklet. Packaging, format and finish should not be carried from one version to the other. Compare the monochrome details with the coloured details.
There is also a newer, separately credited The Mythical Creatures Tarot by Jayne Wallace from CICO Books. An independent account of Wallace’s set describes its own guidebook, watercolour imagery and creature associations by suit. It is not the Baba Studio work discussed here. Check the publisher and named creators before assuming that a similarly titled video, book or sales listing represents the same artwork.
Artwork and reading language
Baba says the Majors and court cards each portray a mythical creature, while the Minor Arcana pips display suit symbols in decorative compositions. That distinction is useful for readers: a figure can prompt a story, while the repeated symbols of a pip invite you to notice number, pattern and rhythm. Rather than expecting every numbered card to illustrate a familiar Rider–Waite–Smith scene, allow the arrangement of symbols and the accompanying booklet to lead. The studio’s card description explains this structure.
The monochrome edition foregrounds Kozachuk’s ink work; the later edition brings Woessner’s water-colouring into the same underlying drawings. Colour can change the mood of an image without changing its place in the tarot. If your eye is drawn first to line, shape and fine detail, compare images of the monochrome version. If atmosphere and colour help you enter a story, consider the coloured version—but compare the exact printing on offer rather than treating the two as interchangeable.
A matching independent video review
“Tarot Deck Review – The Mythical Creatures Tarot by BabaStudios”, from An Esoteric Journey through the Tarot, names Mahony, Kozachuk, Ukolov and Woessner in its description and links Baba Studio’s collection. That attribution makes it a matching review of the Baba Studio water-coloured artwork, rather than a review of Wallace’s later set. The footage is a way to assess this coloured version’s imagery; it does not establish that a monochrome pack has the same finish, box or colouring.
As the cards pass by, notice where a creature holds the scene and where a pip’s repeated symbols carry the meaning. Ask whether you prefer the space left by the ink drawing or the extra emotional cue provided by colour. The right version is the one whose visual language helps you stay with your question.
Reading with creatures rather than collecting names
For a first spread, try three positions: the story I am telling, the strength it gives me, and the part I have not yet heard. Describe one visible detail in each card before you reach for a legend or a memorised tarot keyword. A creature can feel protective in one context and restrictive in another; the surrounding cards and the question help you decide which possibility deserves attention.
If a numbered pip feels quieter than a figurative card, count its suit symbols and look at their placement. Does the arrangement feel crowded, balanced or open? Then consult the accompanying booklet to see where its interpretation supports or challenges your first thought. Beginners familiar with illustrated RWS minors may need that extra step; readers who enjoy pattern-led or Marseille-style approaches may find it a welcome pause.
Choosing a version with care
Ask to see the title on the box, several Major, court and pip cards, and the booklet before buying a second-hand copy. Baba describes different card dimensions and materials for its editions, and the larger coloured listing specifies an additional scenic Three of Cups alongside its tarot cards. That extra card is not a reason to relabel the tarot structure or assume every earlier box contains it. Read the coloured version’s contents and the monochrome specifications separately.
A listing titled simply “Mythical Creatures Tarot” is not enough to identify the maker. If its credits name Jayne Wallace or CICO Books, you are looking at a different set; if it names Mahony, Kozachuk and Ukolov, compare the artwork and physical edition with Baba’s own descriptions. Let the exact cards, not the search-result title, settle the question.
Final Thoughts
Baba Studio’s The Mythical Creatures Tarot gives myth a place to breathe alongside tarot’s older structure. Its illustrated creatures invite a story; its decorative pips ask for a more patient look at number and pattern. Choose between the ink-led monochrome edition and the later water-coloured interpretation with your eyes open, then allow each card to speak through both its creature and its position in the spread.
FAQ
Who created the Baba Studio Mythical Creatures Tarot?
Karen Mahony designed the concept and structure; Lena (Elena) Kozachuk made the pen-and-ink drawings, with Alex Ukolov contributing and editing. Geraldine Woessner coloured the later edition. Baba explains the credits here.
Are the monochrome and water-coloured editions the same?
They share the underlying deck project and ink drawings, but Baba describes distinct printings, formats, finishes and packaging. Woessner’s colour work is specific to the later version. Compare the edition details before using one review to judge another printing.
Is this Jayne Wallace’s Mythical Creatures Tarot?
No. The Wallace/CICO Books set described here is separately credited. A shared or near-identical title does not make the cards or guidebooks the same.
Does every numbered card show a creature?
No. Baba says its Majors and courts each illustrate a creature, while the numbered minors are decorative pips showing suit symbols. Readers who expect fully scenic minors should inspect examples before selecting a version.
Which edition does the embedded review represent?
The review’s description names Woessner’s water-colouring and Baba Studio, identifying the later coloured interpretation. Its video cannot verify the finish or packaging of a particular second-hand copy.
Sources
Baba Studio’s monochrome edition description; Baba Studio’s water-coloured edition description; independent video with creator credits; independent account of the different Wallace set.